O’Neill had considered UC Santa Barbara, Cal Poly-San Luis Obispo and Utah State before picking Cal.

“It sounded like it was going to be Cal all the way, and to get a partial scholarship is quite an accomplishment,” Redondo coach Bob Leetch said.

O’Neill said she really enjoyed her recruiting trip.

“I think it’s a good fit,” O’Neill said. “I had a lot of fun up there, and it was a very relaxed atmosphere.”

Leetch said Ryan was a highly recruited athlete, garnering even more attention than the spectacular Chloe Curtis.

Though many Pac-10 s got involved in the pursuit of Ryan, she said she preferred a smaller-school atmosphere and chose Santa Clara over UC San Barbara, San Francisco State and Cal Poly.

“I really liked the smaller schools,” Ryan said. “When I visited UCSB, I think I was intimidated by how big it was, so I think I made the right decision.”

Torrance’s Pryor on her way to San Jose State

Torrance goalkeeper Emily Pryor committed to San Jose State to play soccer, the senior confirmed Monday.

Pryor considered offers from Humboldt State, Prairie View A&M, Arkansas-Little Rock and Central Arkansas, but could not pass up the chance to play at San Jose.

“I really liked the atmosphere,” Pryor said. “Everyone was so nice, so warm and welcoming. I got to take a tour of the school and I met a ton of people.

“I could totally envision myself going there.”

Pryor helped Torrance win its first league title in 17 seasons this past season. Now she can continue her career at San Jose State.

“My senior year was by far one of the best years I’ve had playing soccer,” Pryor said. “The team was amazing and was so supportive, and Coach Jim (Millinder) helped me a lot, giving me positive and negative feedback. He was great.”

South Bay Championships back with a vengeance

The South Bay Championships are back. West Torrance will host the annual South Bay Championships on Saturday with field events starting at 5 p.m. and running events beginning at 6 p.m.

A big hurdle for the South Bay Championships this season is that it is competing with the prestigious Mt. SAC Relays due to a later Easter this season. But West coach Kirsten Green has done her best to maintain the meet’s premier status in the South Bay.

“Hopefully the coaches see the value in all of us coming together and finding the ‘best’ of the South Bay,” Green said. “Although it is a very stressful time for me, it’s very rewarding once the gun goes off and everyone is out there competing.”

Collision Games return

The South Bay will be well-represented at the Collision All-Star senior basketball games Saturday at El Camino College in matchups pitting the L.A. City Section against CIF Southern Section All-Stars.

The girls game starts at 5 p.m. St. Bernard’s UCLA-bound Kacy Swain will be part of the Southern Section team. Narbonne coach Victoria Sanders will guide the City team that features four South Bay players – Tailer Butler, Atoe Jackson and Jamesha Chapman of Narbonne and Chante Miles of Carson.

Then the boys will tip off at 7 p.m. in a game that features Gatorade National Player of the Year Ryan Anderson, Long Beach Poly’s Boston College-bound star. The South Bay stars joining Anderson include Morningside’s Gerry Blakes (Hawaii), Inglewood’s Julius Bilbrew and Serra’s Ronnie Stevens (Hawaii).

The Westchester trio of Trevon Williams, Dominique Evans and Josh Wilson will lead the City All-Stars, who also include City Player of the Year Spencer Dinwiddie of Taft.

The Pilot light at the end of the tunnel

The Banning baseball team has not had a lot go right for it this season, with its best pitcher on the shelf with an arm injury and its backstop demolished by a wind storm.

But Banning has done more than tread water, going 11-4 against good competition in its first 15 games.

And sunny days may be ahead. Jonathan Hernandez made his debut on the mound Saturday and pitched two scoreless innings of relief against Taft, looking impressive doing it.

“It took the wind out of their (Taft’s) sails,” Banning coach John Gonzalez said. “He really gave us a boost. He looked good; he had good velocity.”

Hernandez has been throwing in practice for a while now, but Banning is being cautious with him.

“We’re bringing him back slowly, and hopefully the next couple of weeks will have him ready for a run at the end. And hopefully he’ll stay healthy the rest of the way,” Gonzalez said.

Honoring a fallen Pilot

Banning will be honoring the memory of former wide receiver Philip Brown, who died in a car accident over the weekend.

Banning will host a coed softball tournament on Saturday at Dolphin Park in Carson. It is being put on by Brown’s former teammates and classmates, looking to raise funds for his funeral.

Dave Thorpe is the local sports coordinator for the Daily Breeze. He has been covering local sports in the South Bay for the Daily Breeze since 2006. He previously was the sports editor at the Palos Verdes Peninsula News.

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